Document Box with Tray

Asian lacquer is derived from the sap of the tree rhus vernicuflua. When refined, brushed onto another surface, and allowed to dry, it creates a highly durable finish that protects objects against damage from extreme temperatures, humidity, and insects. Primitive lacquering was known in Japan as early as the third century BC, but it did not emerge as a significant art form there until around the eighth century AD. Japanese lacquer artists soon developed several distinctive styles and techniques of lacquer decoration. One important decorative technique-called maki-e-involved sprinkling powdered gold, silver, and copper onto the wet lacquer to create elaborate pictorial images. Depending on how the metallic powders were applied, the images could appear under the lacquer surface, flush with the surface, or raised in relief above it. All three types of maki-e are used to masterful effect on this fine document box.

The box consists of three pieces: a bottom, a lid, and an interior tray. It was made to store important papers and other small valuables that needed special protection from light, damp, and vermin. The exterior of the box is decorated with an image of a trained falcon perched on a stand. As in Europe, falconry was an elite hobby in Japan that was historically practiced mainly by members of the samurai warrior class. Although the samurai class was officially abolished in 1868, imagery associated with it remained popular in Japan well into the twentieth century.

Raw lacquer is highly toxic and must be applied slowly and with great care; each coat of lacquer must be fully dry before the next can be applied. A box like this required dozens of coats of lacquer and would have taken weeks or even months of intermittent labor to complete. The high cost of the labor and materials, combined with the falcon design, make this box a potent symbol of wealth and power that still impresses viewers today.